 Little
Rock was discovered and named by French explorer Bernard
de La Harpe in 1722. While traveling up the Arkansas
River, La Harpe met some Quapaw Indians who told him
about a huge, solid emerald boulder near the river.
But he only found the large cliff on the north shore,
the “Big Rock” and “La Petite Roche” — the little rock
that was the first outcropping of stone about the mouth
of the river. About a hundred years later, in 1821,
Little Rock became the capital of the newly-created
Arkansas territory. Some of Little Rock’s original
buildings are just a short walk from the downtown area,
at the Arkansas Territorial Restoration at Third and
Scott streets.
Greater Little Rock is located in the center of the
state and is served by five interstate highways: I-30,
I-40, I-430, I-630 and I-440.
Little Rock typically enjoys mild winters and very warm
summers, with an average summer temperature of 81.4
degrees and an average winter temperature of 39.5
degrees. Little Rock’s average annual rainfall is 48.52
inches, and average snowfall is 5.2 inches.
Little Rock has a busy arts calendar, with outstanding
symphony and pops orchestras performing from Sept.
through May. Ballet Arkansas and the opera theater at
the Wildwood Performing Arts Center offer performances
throughout the year, while performances from the
excellent Arkansas Rep theater are available 280 days a
year. The Arkansas Arts Center owns an
internationally-renowned collection of drawings dating
from the Renaissance period to the present. Dances,
plays, films and educational experiences for both
children and adults are also provided year-round, at
various locations throughout the city as well as at
several venues on the UALR campus.
Attractions in Little Rock include the Old State House
Museum, which was built in 1836 and used as the state’s
first capitol building west of the Mississippi River;
the current Arkansas State Capitol, which features
neoclassical design and was built from 1899 to 1915; the
River Market District featuring gift shops, markets and
restaurants; and the Central High Museum, a civil rights
landmark with an interactive exhibit depicting the 1957
desegregation of the school.
RANKED
FIFTH-LEAST TROUBLED CITY
A study of the central cities in the 86 largest
metropolitan areas by the Nelson Rockefeller Institute
of Government at the State University of New York, found
Little Rock the fifth least-troubled city in the
country.
The Urban Hardship Study was released in 2004 and was
based on 2000 Census Information, the survey ranked the
86 cities on the basis of six factors — unemployment,
education, income, housing, poverty and the proportion
of the population younger than 18 and older than 64.
The Rockefeller Institute has built a national
reputation as a nonpartisan authority on state and local
government policy and finances. Only Seattle, Wash.,
Raleigh, N.C., Virginia Beach, Va., and Austin, Texas
ranked ahead of Little Rock.
CITY AT A GLANCE
Geographical Location - Little Rock is located in the
center of the state of Arkansas, which is located near
the center of the U.S., in the Sun Belt. It was
incorporated on October 7, 1831.
Current Population - 250,000 in the Little Rock city
limits. 600,000 in the Greater Little Rock Metropolitan
Area.
Average Temperature - Summer (July) 81.4 degrees; Winter
(January) 42.5 degrees.
Altitude - 286 feet above sea level; residential areas
between 300 and 630 feet above sea level.
Area - Little Rock = 99.48 square miles; North Little
Rock 37.27 square miles; Pulaski County 781.0 square
miles.
Average Rainfall - 48.52 inches
Average Snowfall - 5.2 inches
Airport - Major U.S. airport 10 minutes from campus.
American, Southwest, Delta, TWA, & Northwest all fly
into Little Rock.
Little Rock’s Greatest Resource is its people-the people
are noted for their warmth, hospitality & involvement in
the community. |
